Blue Origin’s latest rocket has been grounded following an investigation ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following a failed satellite launch.
The company led by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos attempted to deploy the AST Spacemobile satellite using its New Glenn rocket, but the vehicle failed to reach its intended altitude.
In this regard, Blue Origin chief executive Dave Limp said that the failure was caused by a lack of “sufficient thrust” in one engine.
A spokesperson for the authority said: “The FAA requires Blue Origin to investigate the accident.
“The FAA will monitor the Blue Origin-led investigation, be involved at every step of the process, and approve Blue Origin’s final report, including any corrective actions.”
The FAA has grounded Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket after its third flight. Future launches have been suspended pending an investigation into why the rocket failed its mission.
The rocket was carrying an AST satellite designed for mobile phone connectivity. Since it was deployed in a lower orbit than intended, the satellite is now unusable. While AST has confirmed that the loss is covered by insurance, the specific financial impact and cost to the satellite have not been disclosed.
Despite this setback, Blue Origin has aggressive goals, including a planned dozen launches this year and the eventual development of thousands of satellites for its TerraWave project.
Amazon is investing heavily in the sector, recently acquiring a satellite maker for $11 billion to boost its own satellite project, LEO.
Both Blue Origin and Amazon are racing to catch Elon Musk’s Starlink, which currently dominates the market with thousands of operational satellites. Starlink’s parent company, SpaceX, is expected to go public later this year, potentially resulting in a record-breaking stock market listing.
